Danielle Wood

Wood’s early passion was encouraged by her year 12 economics teacher, who showed her how theory can affect the world beyond the textbook. In 2022, she told The Sydney Morning Herald, “There’s a huge misunderstanding about what economics is and what economists do. If people think it’s about numbers and finance, they turn off. But actually, it’s a way to answer social questions.”ⁱ

Completing her first degree in economics with First Class Honours at Adelaide University, Wood immediately followed this up in 2004 with a Master of Commerce, again with First Class Honours, in the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne. From then on, she worked in various public service roles, gathering experience and well-deserved promotions along the way, beginning as a graduate in the Productivity Commission and spending three years at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). As a senior consultant at National Economic Research Associates (NERA), a private consulting firm, she gained non-government experience.

Wood took up further study with a Master of Global Competition and Consumer Law at the University of Melbourne so she could “speak both languages” when lawyers and economists work together in public policy. This third qualification was completed in 2014, the same year she commenced a senior role at the Grattan Institute.

She thrived at the Grattan Institute over nine years, becoming head of its Budgets and Government Program from 2020 to 2023. During this period, Wood was awarded with an Honorary Fellowship of the Economic Society of Australia.

In 2019, she achieved another groundbreaking feat when appointed President of the Economic Society of Australia, the first woman to hold this position. Other positions included membership of the Australian Government’s Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, the Parliamentary Budget Office Expert Advisory Committee, the Jobs and Skills Australia Consultative Forum, and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Research Committee.

In 2023, the Grattan Institute’s chair, Lindsay Maxsted, spoke about the impact Wood had left before her departure.

“Those involved in public policy in Australia know that Danielle is an exceptional economist, with an ability to break down a problem, pinpoint its causes, and then imagine and design practical solutions,” he said.

“Everyone at Grattan also knows Danielle as a thoughtful and welcoming colleague, a strategist, and an inspiring leader.”

Wood is a passionate and long-standing advocate for women in economics and in 2017 she was the Women in Economics (WEN) Inaugural National Chair, and a founding member of their National Committee. She is also Research Fellow of the Women’s Leadership Institute.

In 2023, Wood presented the Faculty of Business and Economics’ 2023 Freebairn Public Lecture in honour of Emeritus Professor John Freebairn.